This invention pertains to a method and an apparatus for alternately and successively winding on spools of a double-spooler type winder an elongated member such as optical fiber which tends to be cut when it is subject to a tension which is produced by catching and cutting the elongated member on a waiting spooler on which it begins to be wound from now on although the elongated member to be wound is not limited to a fine member such as optical fiber. Thus, it should be understood that the method and the apparatus of the invention may be applied to a thick elongated member such as an electric wire or the likes.
In general, as shown in FIG. 39, such an apparatus for successively winding an elongated member comprises two spoolers 10 and 10' having spools 12 and 12' mounted thereon, respectively and elongated member transferring means 30 serving to transfer an elongated member 1 from one spooler (operating spooler) 10 on which the elongated member 1 is being now wound to the other vacant spooler (waiting spooler) 10' after the operating spooler 10 is nearly full of the elongated member 1. The elongated member transferring means 30 comprises an elongated member shifting section 32 including a guide pulley to shift the elongated member 1 from the operating spooler 10 to the waiting spooler 10' when the elongated member 1 is to be transferred, catching members 28 and 28' having catching pawls 26 and 26' provided on the spoolers 10 and 10' respectively, to catch a wind-beginning end of the elongated member 1 which is to be wound on the waiting spooler 10' (or 10) from now on and an elongated member drawing section 34 to draw the elongated member 1 toward the catching member 28' (or 28) on the waiting spooler 10' (or 10) when the elongated member 1 is transferred from the operating spooler 10 (or 10') to the waiting spooler 10' (or 10).
In operation, the elongated member 1 is being wound on the spool 12 on the operating spooler 10 and when the spool 12 on the operating spooler 10 is nearly full of the elongated member 1, the elongated member shifting section 32 moves the guide pulley so as to shift the elongated member 1 from an operating position below which the spool 12 on the operating spooler 10 is located to a waiting position below which the spool 12' on the waiting spooler 10' is located (see FIG. 2). Thus, as noted from this figure, the elongated member 1 is positioned so as to cross the spool 12' on the waiting spooler 10'.
Thereafter, the elongated member drawing section 34 draws the elongated member 1 until it engages the catching member 28' on the spool 12' which is now rotated by an operation of the waiting spooler 10' whereby it is caught by the catching pawl 26' on the catching member 28' while it is securely held between the spools 12 and 12'. Thus, the elongated member 1 is cut between the spools 12 and 12' by the rotation of the spool 12' and the succeeding elongated member 1 extending from the portion (the wind-beginning end) of the elongated member 1 which is securely held by the spool 12' begins to be wound on the spool 12' on the spooler 10' which is now operated.
Since the elongated member 1 is securely and directly held between the spools 12 and 12' and the spooler 10 is still operated, the wound layers of the elongated member 1 on the spool 12 will be adversely affected by an excessive tension applied to the elongated member 1 when it is caught and cut by the catching member 28'. In order to avoid this, the spools 12 and 12' have wasteful spool portions 12A and 12'A provided on one side thereof. The elongated member 1 is wound on the wasteful spool portion 12A of the spool 12 after it is fully wound thereon and then it is drawn by the elongated member drawing section 34. Therefore, the tension produced when the elongated member 1 is caught and cut between the spools 12 and 12' is never directly applied to the wound layers of the elongated member 1 on the main body of the spool 12 because the wasteful spool portion 12A interrupts the tension from being applied to the wound layers on the main body of the spool 12. The spooler 10 which has a fully wound layers on the spool 12 stops after the wind-terminating end of the elongated member 1 which is formed by being cut away from the wind-beginning portion thereof caught by the spool 12' on the spooler 10' is introduced into and wound on the spool 12 on the spooler 10.
However, when the elongated member 1 is transferred from the main body of the spool 12 (or 12') to the wasteful spool 12A (or 12'A) beyond the flange thereof, the line speed of the elongated member 1 will sharply vary. Since a dancer disposed on an upstream side of the apparatus cannot follow sharp variation in the line speed, the elongated member 1 will be damaged or broken and therefore it fails to be often transferred to the waiting spooler 12' or 12.
This will remarkably happen particularly when the elongated member 1 is wound at higher line speed and therefore the high speed operation of the apparatus disadvantageously cannot be made. In addition thereto, since the elongated member 1 on the wasteful spool portion 12A (or 12'A) has to be removed therefrom, the operation of the apparatus is ineffectively made. This prevents the spool from being automatically mounted on the corresponding spooler or removed therefrom.
Since the elongated member 1 is only engaged with and caught by the catching pawl 26 (or 26') on the catching member 28 (or 28') when it is transferred, it cannot be caught in a stable manner on the spool on the waiting spooler. Thus, the elongated member will fail to be positively transferred.
Japanese Patent Application Laying-Open No. 246068/1992 (4-246668) discloses an apparatus for successively winding an elongated member comprising pulling rollers disposed between two spoolers to pull the elongated member and suction nozzles disposed between the pulling rollers and the respective spoolers, respectively to suck therein the wind-terminating portion of the elongated member which is wound on the operating spooler until now.
Since the disclosed apparatus stops the spooler operated until now and thereafter sucks into the corresponding suction nozzle the succeeding excessive portion of the elongated member to be wound on the operating spooler when it is nearly full of the elongated member, the wound layers on the spool on the operating spooler will be never affected by the tension produced when the elongated member is caught and cut at the waiting spooler although the elongated member extends between the two spoolers.
However, in this disclosed apparatus, since the portion of the elongated member sucked in the suction nozzle at the corresponding spooler has to be wound by the corresponding spooler slowly again operated, the operation of the apparatus will be ineffectively made and also the suction nozzles and vacuum system to be connected thereto cause the equipment robe expensive.